Dealing With Draco

( A/N: Greetings, all! Its been a long time since I decided to sit down and write a novel to post on ff.net, but I think that if you like Herm/Draco romance, that you will enjoy this story. What if Voldemort gained control of the magical world -- legally? What if Draco was the Minister of Magic ... ? What if Ron was being held prisioner in Malfoy Manor ... ? And what if a life-changing deal between Hermione and Draco was the only thing that would save him ... ? Please R/R and feel free to make any suggestions that come to mind. Most of all, Enjoy! ^_^ )

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Chapter 1: The Proposition

" Mighty cards within my hand,
Before you now I humbly stand,
I ask you now to be my guide,
Please help me find my future bride! "

Speaking these words, Draco Malfoy stopped shuffling the tarot cards he was holding and set them down on the tiny pine table in front of him. The air around him smelled heavily of jasmine and roses and was already making his mind feel slightly foggy. Slowly, he cut the deck into three separate piles and flipped the top card of each so that the picture on its front side was facing him. He could feel the nearby heat of a red candle slightly to his left. The sensation was suddenly replaced by a cool breeze which caressed the top of his hand as he slowly opened his eyes to see what cards had appeared. The strength card lay upside down, followed by the six of staves and finally the two of cups, the only card that faced him properly.

Gazing at the cards only long enough to memorize what they were, how they were situated, and what order they had come in, Draco once again closed his eyes, breathing in the enticing aroma of the room in deeply. " By the power of Vesta's fire, appear to me my one desire! "

At once his mind became blank from all other thoughts. A black canvas of velvet-smooth concentration patiently awaiting the answer he sought. At first, the vision came only like whisps of smoke, dancing on the edge of his subconscious trying to break through. Slowly they began to take a more recognizable form, first as a pair of brandy eyes, staring at him with a mischievous air, quickly followed by full rosy lips. These were held together by ivory skin that looked so soft and unblemished that Draco nearly lost the vision as he tried to reach out and touch it. Silky cinnamon hair trailed behind her, blown gently by an autumn breeze as she made her way down a busy street.

A street! He could actually see the street! Forcing himself to ignore this new level of visionary skill, he began to pay attention to the street, and the sound of honking horns, light chatter and shopping bags hitting against people's thighs now filled the prior silence. Where was she? Beginning to feel fully comfortable with his new-found freedom he slowly glanced around the street, looking for clues that would single out her location. Watching as she made her way up a set of wide stone steps, Draco caught sight of the sign hanging over the doorway just in time. It read " Togsville Public Library ". A Canadian flag blew proudly on a nearby pole. Having given him all of the information he would need, the vision once again became whirling smoke and then disappeared, being replaced by Draco's own musings.

Draco's body tingled with energy as he raced to record his findings in the large leather-bound book that lay on the nearby sofa. Where had he seen her before? She looked so familiar! He wished the vision had progressed long enough to find out what she had been looking for among all of those books. Turning back to his own book, Draco saw that he had scribbled at name at the bottom of his entry: Hermione Granger.

*+*+*+*+*

" What's this? " Hermione asked as she took the piece of parchment from her owl, Athena. It was a creamy off white and had been sealed with a crest bearing a green snake surrounded by a black circle. Breaking the seal, Hermione unraveled the parchment carefully to discover a letter neatly written in red ink.

Dear Ms. Granger,
It is of dire neccessity that you return to England immediately. A certain legal matter has arisen which shall require your presence regarding your old school-mate, Ronald Weasley. I have included two tickets and 500 dollars to cover any other expenses to ensure your immediate departure. Hopefully the second ticket will make amends for any damage this has done to your vacation. I look forward to seeing you. Meet me at the Leaky Cauldron.
Sincerely,
Draco L. Malfoy, Minister of Magic.

" Draco Malfoy is the Minister of Magic? What the hell is going on? " Hermione paced the livingroom reading the letter again, but it was all the same. What 'legal matter' was Ron involved in? If Malfoy had any part in it, this had to be bad?

" Herm! " a pair of arms were suddenly wrapped around her neck as she was pulled into a crushing embrace. " It's so good to see you! It's been ages! "

" Ginny! " Hermione spun around to return the spunky red-head's embrace, " It's not the same without you in England! "

" Not like you to over-exagerate, Herm. What did Athena bring? "

" Trouble, and lots of it. " Hermione handed Ginny the letter, watching as her best friend's brow wrinkled in concentration, " What legal matter? Surely Ron hasn't done anything? "

" I have no idea what this is about. But if Draco is suddenly the Minister of Magic, then I think we should be in England, not lounging here. "

" Agreed. Perhaps this will lead us to Harry? "

" Perhaps ? But let's stick to one thing at a time, Gin.

" Right. These tickets are for tonight's 7:00 p.m. flight at the Toronto Airport. We have to hurry! "

*+*+*+*+*

" We made it. " Hermione buckled her seatbelt and pulled out a copy of "The Daily Prophet" to read while the flight went on. Several hours later, she and Ginny were at the London Airport.

" You know what ? ? " Ginny whispered as they left the airport by cab, " We should go visit the school before we go anywhere near the pub. "

" Normally I would agree, but its too risky, Gin. But maybe ? "

" What? "

" Why don't you do that while I speak with Mr. Malfoy? See what Professor Dumbledore knows about this whole situation. "

" Smart idea. See ya later! "

Ginny was gone before Hermione had the chance to say good-bye. As she looked at the run down pub, she had to smile. The Leaky Cauldron, like so many things in the magical world, were not what they seemed. Could the same possibly be true for Draco? Still pondering this, she entered the pub, rubbing non-existent wrinkles out of her navy skirt as she looked around nervously.

" Over here, Granger. " The cool calculating voice was the same one that had been the centre of her dreams for the last two years. Glancing over to a corner booth, she saw him with his hands resting casually on the table while his smoke gray eyes trailed over her. As usual he was dressed in the latest of fashion, tight black pants and the collar of a white shirt showed from underneath his black velvet robe. Pushing his silky pale-blond bangs to the side, he gestured toward an empty chair, " Have a seat. I won't bite ? unless you want me to. "

For one split second, Hermione wanted to turn and run, but forcing herself to stay calm she gingerly made her way over to the table and sat down across from him, " What do you want, Malfoy? "

" Always business before pleasure, right Granger? " Draco chuckled, passing her a menu, then dropping his voice slightly, " There will be pleasure, Hermione ? At least if you want your precious Ron to remain healthy. "

" And why would Ron;s health be in any danger to begin with? "

" Ron ? and Harry ? have been captured by the Dark Lord. " Draco's voice was still barely above a whisper, and Hermione had a feeling that he wasn't suppose to be telling her about Harry, " If you agree to become my wife willingly, I will see to it that he ? conveniently goes missing. "

" And if I tell you to go to hell, like I know I should? "

" I'm sure you can guess what curse awaits him without me telling you. "

" How can I be certain that he is alive? "

" He is held captive at Malfoy Manor as we speak. His fate is entirely my choosing. "

" And instead of simply letting him go, you would use him to ? " Hermione's voice cracked before she could finish the sentence, and she fought desperately against the tears that wanted to fall from her eyes.

" Think what you like, Hermione. However, I shall require a yes or no from you so that I can plan Ron's furture accordingly. "

" Why do you want me, though? You hated my guts all the way through school. "

" I think that we are drawing a lot of unneccessary attention to ourselves sitting here and talking about this. Why don't we go back to the Manor and discuss this in a bit more privacy? "

Hermione was about to protest, but a glance around the room told her that Draco's suggestion was in both their best interests. There was only one thing they would need to settle. " What about Ginny? "

" Ginny? Oh, you brought Ginny Weasley with you? Well, she is welcome to come with us if she wants. "

When Hermione stood up, Draco offered her his arm and she accepted, despite the fact that his touch made her tremble all over. From the way that her was gently caressing her hand, she had a strong suspicion that he knew it, too. The strange thing was that she wasn't sure if what she felt was fear ? or excitement.

*+*+*+*+*

Draco couldn't believe that he was finally taking Hermione to Malfoy Manor. Of course, there was the problem that he was bribing her, but that would get solved soon enough. At this moment, the greatest problem he was facing was how to keep the desire he felt for her in check. Part of him wondered if Hermione would have married him if he had simply tried to court here the usual way, but secretly he doubted it. That was the reason he was using Ron ? he knew damn well that Hermione wasn't in love with him, but that she did love him enough to want to save him. It was a flawless plan, and he was proud of it.

As Malfoy Manor came into view, Draco happily noted the awe on both Hermione and Ginny's faces. He had to admit, the place had become absolutely breath-taking thanks to the renovations he had made hoping to please Hermione. The pale gray brick of the walls was soon behind them and the tropical beauty of the courtyard surrounded them. The aroma of exotic wild-flowers, fruit trees and the cool green grass that grew beneath their feet mixed, bedazzling their sense of smell with their wonderful primal fragrances. The faint path they were traveling led up to the front entrance of the Manor, but broke off once to lead to a gentle stream the flowed throughout the garden to water the plants, and once to lead to a circular semi-enclosed building that had benches inside it for sitting.

" What a lovely garden. " Ginny, who had become a herbalist, was already busy trying to name the various plants and trees.

" Glad you think so. " Draco chuckled, " I used your books to pick out the plants and to get everything I would need to grow them, and 'Lockheart's Guide to Garden Design' to make all of it work together. "

" My books helped you create this? " Ginny smiled, taking a final look at the garden scene which was now behind them.

Draco was glad that one of his guests was pleased. Now he just had to impress Hermione several times over. Just now noticing that she was not beside him, he turned back to find her petting a fawn that had come out of the bushes. Draco sighed, noting how gentle she was with the little deer, and seeing for the first time how innocent she truly was despite her unquestionable intelligence. The fawn could suddenly tell it was being watched, and after allowing Hermione to give its forehead another gentle pat, it took off into the trees.

" How adorable! " Hermione easily caught up to Draco and Ginny, " What a shame you scared her away. "

" Don't worry, " Draco took Hermione's arm again, " She'll be back. "

" I hope so. "

" We need to get inside. The sky is looking pretty overcast. Besides, my parents are expecting us to have dinner with them. Not to be too much of a bother, but if you are planning on making a good impression, you'll want to clean up before that. "

Draco led Hermione and Ginny into the main hall of Malfoy Manor and up a winding flight of stairs on the right that led to private bedrooms. Stopping at one, he opened the door and gestured for Ginny to enter. The room was painted mint green and a cream coloured rug covered the floor. A four-poster bed lay against the wall opposite the door, its forest green satin comforter looking as though it had never been used. A white nightstand enlaid with gold-plated carvings of angels stood to the right of the door, with a matching white stool with a green-velvet coushin on top of it. Opening the two tall doors of the wardrobe to the left of the door, Draco showed her a collection of gowns and shoes. Giving the room a final inspection, he left Ginny to get ready and returned to lead Hermione to her guest suite.

Too his amusement, Draco noticed that Hermione found much of the art hanging on the corridor walls interesting, and made a mental note to talk about it with her someday. Within minutes he had led her into the guest suite two doors down from Ginny's, which was decorated in varying shades of blue. He allowed himself a satisfied smile, as he watched her gaze around the large chamber in awe, taking in its exquisite furnishings and even going so far as to explore the balcony, with its stunning view of the gardens. Sitting down on the bed, he waited patiently for her to finish her little tour.

" Will this room do? " Draco's heart beat a little faster when she sat down net to him. There were much larger suites in the Manor, but he had guessed that she would like one with a view of the garden more then anything else.

" You know what, Draco, I'm touched. It is obvious you've had this planned for a while, right down to thinking I'd bring Ginny with me. "

" You've figured me out, Hermione. I've been preparing the Manor for your arrival for quite a long time. It hasn't been easy finding out what you like, either. " Draco laughed, putting one of his arms around her shoulders, " But somehow I managed, and I have a surprise to show you when we are finished dinner which I think you will enjoy. "

Hermione smiled, having for the moment forgotten the great evil that had brought her here, " Speaking of dinner, we had better get ready. It is important that I make a good impression in front of your parents. "

" Then you are agreeing? " Draco's excitement was so great that he did not realize his error in saying this, " You'll marry me? "

" Can we please take this one step at a time? " Hermione's pleading voice brought him back to reality, " Please? "

" I've waited this long. A while longer will not hurt. " Draco's voice turned slightly colder, " Just remember, the longer you wait, the longer Ron waits. "

Standing up, Draco left the room so that Hermione could change. Only once he got outside the room and down the hall did he allow himself to punch the wall in frustration. Being impatient would get him nowhere, and his blunder had surely cost him any progress he had made in the last two hours. Shaking his head Draco entered his own room, feeling frustrated and further away from his goal then ever before.